Rabbi Bradley Tecktiel was born June 28, 1968 in Chicago, Illinois. He moved to New York City to attend university, where he received two Bachelor of Arts degrees: one from List College and one from Columbia University. He went on to achieve a Master?s degree from the Jewish Theological Seminary. Soon after graduating in 1996, Rabbi Tecktiel accepted his first clergy position in New Rochelle, New York. From there he went on to lead a congregation in Louisville, Kentucky, before eventually moving to Las Vegas to become the spiritual leader of Midbar Kodesh Temple in 2008. In this interview, Rabbi Tecktiel discusses the path that eventually brought him, his wife, Susan, and their three children to Las Vegas. He talks about his passion for developing Jewish community engagement and programming, and specifically about Midbar Kodesh Temple initiatives, including Yom HaShoah and educational programming. In addition, Rabbi Tecktiel reflects upon the growth of the Jewish community, both those affiliated and unaffiliated, and the impact of Jews on Las Vegas?, as well as Nevada?s, development.
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Bernice Eisenberg has been a Las Vegas resident since 1955 and was a part of the formation of Midbar Kodesh Temple. Eisenberg was a teacher and has taught at many Las Vegas schools. She met her husband, Ivan, at the Jewish Community Centers’ social club for young adults and married him in 1956. During the mid 1990s Las Vegas was a growing and Temple Beth Sholom was the only synagogue and Eisenberg worked to help form Midbar Kodesh Temple to serve the growing Henderson community. Bernice has two children.
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Albert "Al" Goot was president of Temple Beth Sholom in Las Vegas, Nevada from 1955 to 1956. He helped build the first synagogue in Las Vegas in 1946: the Jewish Community Center at 13th Street and Carson Avenue. Goot owned several local businesses including Hollywood Furniture on South Main Street (during the 1960s) and two markets in downtown Las Vegas. His brother was Max Goot, another Las Vegas business owner.
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Bernice Eisenberg has been a Las Vegas resident since 1955 and was a part of the formation of Midbar Kodesh Temple. Eisenberg was a teacher and has taught at many Las Vegas schools. She met her husband, Ivan, at the Jewish Community Centers’ social club for young adults and married him in 1956. During the mid 1990s Las Vegas was a growing and Temple Beth Sholom was the only synagogue and Eisenberg worked to help form Midbar Kodesh Temple to serve the growing Henderson community. Bernice has two children.
Person
The Edythe and Lloyd Katz papers (1934-2002) provide a glimpse of the social, religious, and educational contributions they made to the community of Las Vegas, Nevada. Materials include photographs, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and awards dating from 1934 to 2002.
Archival Collection
Laura Sussman was born March 26, 1956 in Cleveland, Ohio where there was a robust Jewish community. She moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1997. The Jewish Community Center (JCC) hired her as its first executive director. She was a director for eight years, then executive director at Temple Beth Sholom. Sussman met her wife, Wendy Kraft, through their work with the JCC and love followed. Several years later, in 2009, so did their new business, Kraft-Sussman Funeral and Cremation services.
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